Properly scrubbing a person's back during a shower is a difficult operation to perform alone. Even people with normal degrees of joint articulation find it hard to reach all of the areas of the back. However this is even more difficult for people with arthritis or other disabilities limiting arm movement.
As a result, various devices have been developed to aid in proper cleaning of the back. Ordinary back brushes are better suited for a bathtub than a shower because they tend to clutter the shower stall. Earlier patents disclose the concept of back scrubbers which can be removably attached to a shower stall. One example is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,311,635 to Moore. This patent shows a back cleaning apparatus including a sponge-like layer, an exterior layer of indoor/outdoor carpet and a backer board which can be releasably affixed to a shower stall by suction cups.
Another such device as shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,389. This again shows the use of suction cups to releasably connect a back scrubber to the wall of a shower stall. The cleaning surface is a replaceable sponge.
One problem associated with such prior art devices is that different textures of cleaning surfaces are desired by different people and for different purposes. For ordinary cleaning, for example, a sponge may be perfectly suitable. However, more intense cleaning requires a somewhat rougher surface. This may also be desirable for someone who wants relieve itching on the back by rubbing against a rough object. Prior art devices of the type mentioned do not readily allow the user to change the nature or roughness of the cleaning surface as desired.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved back scrubber which can allow the user to choose one of two different cleaning or scrubbing surfaces as desired.
It is also an object of the invention to provide an improved back scrubber which is simple and rugged in construction and economical to produce and sell.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved back scrubber which can be securely connected to the wall of a shower and yet easily re-configured to offer different scrubbing or cleaning surfaces.